it's fairly rare for a generation (family generation) to leap from one status to a whole another level

And very difficult (new money or new blood), especially for the kids. Schemes are good, even bad ones, for without schemes you are worse off, you are lost. Do you think every society (group) would actually prefer to be a pyramid ? I think they would (because they always are).

Lobsters man, lobsters have dominance hierarchies, they ain't going away :D